Common Baby Diapers Myths You Must Stop Believing

By Author: Harleen Kaur
Total Articles: 89
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Once a baby arrives, new mothers get flooded with numerous pieces of advice and words of caution on every topic related to babies from everyone, including strangers! From how to hold a baby to what to eat as a nursing mother and even whether or not to use newborn baby diapers, you are constantly bombarded with all kinds of advice. But what is concerning about this is that the advice may not always be right and many-a-times are more harmful than beneficial. When it comes to your baby, you must always seek advice from doctors and experts rather than believing anything and everything that people push your way. In the case of infant diapers, too, there are many myths and misconceptions surrounding them, which are commonly promoted in the form of advice from relatives and friends.
This article discusses some of such common misconceptions regarding baby diapers and fact-checks so you can stop believing in them and only trust and make use of that information which is beneficial for your baby.

Myth #1
Cloth diapers are better than disposable diapers.
This is an age-old idea that is still widely accepted ...
... as the truth but, in reality, may not be so. While cloth diapers are good for newborns who are just 0-7 days old, there is no harm in using newborn baby diapers made especially for them if your baby is 1 week to 3 months old. These diapers are soft and gentle on the skin, extremely comfortable and highly effective in keeping your baby dry and comfortable. In fact, cloth diapers can prove to be notorious for staying wet and leading to rashes. And since they are reusable, they can also lead to infections if not washed properly.

Myth #2
Wearing diapers for a long time does not let your baby’s skin breathe.
While this may have been true in the past when diapers were still in their nascent stages, it doesn’t hold true anymore. Modern-day diapers, especially the ones from the best diaper brands, are known for their quality products and superior technology. They allow air circulation inside the diapers letting your baby’s skin breathe and vent the moisture vapour by passing it through the diaper material.

Myth #3
Pant-style diapers are uncomfortable for infants.
Pant-style infant diapers are as comfortable as tape-style diapers. They are soft on the skin and have a firm but gentle grip on the waist and thighs as well. They are very flexible too, which allows free movement without letting the diaper unfasten or slip from its place, as can be the case with tape-style diapers. You can also easily check, remove and change such diapers.

Myth #4
Dabbing baby powder on your baby’s intimate area is a must before putting on a fresh diaper.
Using baby powder on your child’s intimate area can do more harm than good for them. This powder can get into your baby’s genital region and irritate or into the lungs if inhaled and cause many respiratory issues. Hence, it is best to keep it away from them. Usually, the idea behind the use of powder is to keep the diaper area dry and rash-free. However, current-day pants diaper extra absorb is more than capable of doing the job effectively for you. Also, you can always use baby rash cream to maintain the barrier between their skin and the diaper to prevent rashes.

Myth #5
Wearing diapers lead to skin rashes.
As already mentioned, modern-day pant diapers’ extra absorb ability helps to keep your baby’s diaper area dry, which can effectively prevent rashes. Moreover, often it is not the diapers that lead to rashes but the delay in changing them. With regular changing of diapers and immediately doing so after your baby poops, you can prevent rashes from developing.

Myth #6
Using larger diapers can prevent rashes.
Although diaper rashes do occur due to prolonged wetness and friction between a diaper and the baby’s skin, it surely doesn’t mean that you must pick a diaper that is too big for your child. It will only lead to more leakage, mess and slip-ups, that’s counterproductive to the use of diapers in the first place. The best diaper brands offer a wide range of diaper sizes, including those for premature babies who are born with a weight of less than 3 kg. You can check the weight group mentioned on the diaper pack to select one which corresponds to your baby’s weight.

Myth #7
You must immediately change your baby’s diaper, even if it may wake them up from sound sleep at night.
Waking up your baby to change their diaper is never a good idea as it can ruin their sleep and become cranky. There is no harm in leaving a diaper on for 5-6 hours unless they have pooped in it or the diaper is too full. The ideal thing to do is to put a fresh diaper on them, ideally a special overnight diaper or pants diaper extra absorb, right before bedtime. Such diapers have a larger fluid-retaining capacity that keeps your baby dry and comfortable all night long.

Myth #8
If there is no leakage or wetness, you don’t have to change the diaper.
Even if there is no leakage or solid waste in the diaper or it isn’t full yet, you must always make a point to change your baby’s diaper every 5-7 hours. This is essential to let their skin breathe naturally and prevent rashes and infections due to constant contact with moisture.

Myth #9
Thin diapers are not effective enough in preventing leaks.
Many falsely believe that a diaper that is thicker and bulky can only effectively absorb fluid and prevent its leakage. However, with the technological advancements in the current times, newborn baby diapers have become quite light and thin yet have increased their absorbing power.

Myth #10
Baby diapers are not worth their price.
If you do not want to spend every waking minute cleaning up after your newborn, washing their cloth nappies and changing wet and soiled clothes, then the newborn diapers price is worth it. It is even more so because you don’t have to break the bank to get them either. You can buy diapers with online discounts and offers. Also, you must buy them in bulk, choosing larger monthly cartons instead of small packs, as the cost per unit diaper in the former is very less compared to the latter.

Conclusion

Whether your baby is a toddler or is still a newborn, baby diapers are a highly crucial part of their lives until they are fully potty trained. Hence, if you are a new parent, you must overcome the misconceptions that usually surround baby products, especially baby diapers, and choose the right one for your child’s comfort.